Union House
Encyclopedia
The Union House, also known as the John Bower House, is a small, mostly Gothic Revival house in downtown Orangeville
, Illinois
, United States
. The house, the first brick home in Orangeville, was built in 1849 by village founder John Bower. It was purchased by Samuel Hutchins in 1885 and it remained in the Hutchins family until 1951. The house blends elements of Greek and Gothic Revival architecture and is the only example of Gothic Revival found in the village of Orangeville. The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 2000.
house in Orangeville
and erected by village founder John Bower. Bower came to Stephenson County
in 1844 and, on October 16, 1846, bought the land that would be platted as Orangeville from John H. Curtis for US$
950. Bowers built the Union House in 1849 on a portion of what eventually became Orangeville in 1851. By 1885 Dr. Samuel Hutchins, and his wife Amanda, owned the Union House and used it as a home and a medical office for Hutchins early in his career. William Hutchins inherited the home and lived in it until he died in 1926. His sister Katherine Hutchins took ownership of the building following William's death. When Katherine died in 1944 her mother Linda inherited the house and it was deeded to Robert and Florence Shafer in 1951. The Shafers in turn sold it to Val and Opel Schreiner. The Schreiner's owned the house when it was nominated to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 2000.
s and topped by fanlight
s, and ornate wood or masonry encasements surrounding the door. The Union House features these characteristics, though does not feature the recessed doorway the McAlesters call "not uncommonly" found in Greek Revival doorways.
Besides the front entrance, the house is cast in the Gothic Revival style, popularized in the United States
through various publications from the late 1830s–1850s. The Union House matches descriptions put forth by McAlester as well as in the Galena Historic Preservation Guidebook. McAlester describes decorative bargeboard
s, steeply pitched gable
s, and cross gables, with windows usually extending into the gables; all elements which are present on the Union House. The pointed arch windows described by McAlester are not present on the Union House. The Union House is of the centered gable variety described by McAlester. The Galena guidebook also describes steeply pitched roofs, cross gables and decorative bargeboarding. The original decorative bargeboarding on the Union House remains in place.
on May 11, 2000.
Orangeville, Illinois
Orangeville is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 793 at the 2010 census, up from 751 at the 2000 census. The area's earliest white settlers arrived in 1833 and the village was platted in 1851 by John Bower, who is considered the village founder. In 1867...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The house, the first brick home in Orangeville, was built in 1849 by village founder John Bower. It was purchased by Samuel Hutchins in 1885 and it remained in the Hutchins family until 1951. The house blends elements of Greek and Gothic Revival architecture and is the only example of Gothic Revival found in the village of Orangeville. The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2000.
History
The Union House was the first brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
house in Orangeville
Orangeville, Illinois
Orangeville is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 793 at the 2010 census, up from 751 at the 2000 census. The area's earliest white settlers arrived in 1833 and the village was platted in 1851 by John Bower, who is considered the village founder. In 1867...
and erected by village founder John Bower. Bower came to Stephenson County
Stephenson County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,979 people, 19,785 households, and 13,473 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile . There were 21,713 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
in 1844 and, on October 16, 1846, bought the land that would be platted as Orangeville from John H. Curtis for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
950. Bowers built the Union House in 1849 on a portion of what eventually became Orangeville in 1851. By 1885 Dr. Samuel Hutchins, and his wife Amanda, owned the Union House and used it as a home and a medical office for Hutchins early in his career. William Hutchins inherited the home and lived in it until he died in 1926. His sister Katherine Hutchins took ownership of the building following William's death. When Katherine died in 1944 her mother Linda inherited the house and it was deeded to Robert and Florence Shafer in 1951. The Shafers in turn sold it to Val and Opel Schreiner. The Schreiner's owned the house when it was nominated to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2000.
Architecture
The Union House utilizes a combination of Greek Revival and Gothic Revival styles. The Greek Revival influence is found in the doorway, which matches almost exactly the description put forth by Virginia and Lee McAlester in their 1984 book, A Field Guide to American Houses. The McAlester description for Greek Revival doorways mentions, elaborate door surrounds flanked by decorative glass sidelightSidelight
A sidelight is a window, usually with a vertical emphasis, that flanks a door. Sidelights are narrow, usually stationary and found immediately adjacent doorways...
s and topped by fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
s, and ornate wood or masonry encasements surrounding the door. The Union House features these characteristics, though does not feature the recessed doorway the McAlesters call "not uncommonly" found in Greek Revival doorways.
Besides the front entrance, the house is cast in the Gothic Revival style, popularized in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
through various publications from the late 1830s–1850s. The Union House matches descriptions put forth by McAlester as well as in the Galena Historic Preservation Guidebook. McAlester describes decorative bargeboard
Bargeboard
Bargeboard is a board fastened to the projecting gables of a roof to give them strength and to mask, hide and protect the otherwise exposed end of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof to which they were attached...
s, steeply pitched gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s, and cross gables, with windows usually extending into the gables; all elements which are present on the Union House. The pointed arch windows described by McAlester are not present on the Union House. The Union House is of the centered gable variety described by McAlester. The Galena guidebook also describes steeply pitched roofs, cross gables and decorative bargeboarding. The original decorative bargeboarding on the Union House remains in place.
Significance
The Union House, along with being the first brick house built in Orangeville, is the only example of Gothic Revival architecture found in the village. It is important locally because it was constructed by the village founder, John Bower. The house is also a good example of the crossover from Greek to Gothic Revival and blends elements from both style. The house's local significance, combined with its architectural importance qualified it for listing on the U.S. National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 11, 2000.
See also
- Charles Fehr Round BarnCharles Fehr Round BarnThe Charles Fehr Round Barn is a round barn in the U.S. state of Illinois near the Stephenson County village of Orangeville. The barn was built in 1912 by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Haas Brothers about one half mile from the Illinois–Wisconsin state border. The building is the first...
- People's State BankPeople's State Bank (Orangeville, Illinois)The People's State Bank building is located in the Stephenson County village of Orangeville, Illinois, United States. The structure was erected in 1926 when two Orangeville banks merged to form the People's State Bank. It operated until 1932 when it became overwhelmed by an economic disaster caused...